


Time will pass. We just need to hope.

by willowmellontree



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Orphanage, Multi, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:13:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24359371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/willowmellontree/pseuds/willowmellontree
Relationships: Mycroft Holmes/Greg Lestrade
Comments: 6
Kudos: 33





	1. Chapter 1

Lunch breaks were always boring. All it is was forty-five minutes sitting on a bench in the cold with nothing to do and no one to talk to. Mycroft had just turned fifteen but it wasn't a big celebration. It was the first birthday that he had while not being at home with his parents but it didn't matter. What did matter was when Sherlock turned eight next January which was only two months away, but that problem would be sorted once the time comes. For now, Mycroft just had to wait another twenty minutes for the next lesson. The next thirty seconds lasted for at least thirty centuries so the young boy stood up and headed to the library for the second time this lunch. He sat down on a chair in the far corner and got out a book that he had no intention of reading. He would just stare at the page until the bell rang and then he would have to wait another hour before he could go and collect Sherlock from the primary school down the road. 

What seemed like generations later, the bell finally rang and Mycroft followed the stampede of students to his next lesson which so happened to be history. Not the best but not the worst. At least it wasn't P.E which shouldn't stand for Physical education; it should stand for Public embarrassment but Mycroft seemed to the only one to think that. He managed to find his way to the humanities block without being trodden on or pushed in the other direction so he waited outside the door for the teacher to arrive. The lesson its self wasn't that excruciating but it still seemed to go on for an age. The class were learning about the history of medicine, but Mycroft didn't need to listen because his father had taught him all about it. Instead, he got out his planner and doodled on the corner of a page. By the time the human race had learnt to time travel, the lesson had ended so everyone rushed out including Mycroft. He went along the back passage that led behind both schools so he could pick his brother up without too much hassle. The older Holmes brother asked his sibling how his day went but he got the usual answer of how boring everyone was. 

They strolled to the place that they have been staying in for the past seven months. It was technically an orphanage but they weren't orphans. Mrs and Mr Holmes were just too busy with work so they couldn't look after their children for a while. Mycroft made sure this arrangement wasn't permanent and soon enough, everyone would be back home and creating chaos like normal. That's what Mycroft told his brother anyway. That's what he told himself because the truth was too unbearable to believe. Their parents weren't dead, fortunately, they were still alive but one day they had just left the house and never came back. The two boys were left in the house alone for a month and they still would be now if it wasn't for a concerned neighbour. Mycroft had tried to tell the social workers and teachers and doctors and everybody that their parents just needed a rest from normal family life. Obviously, they didn't listen and called it child neglect. He wasn't stupid. He knew it what it was and that they wouldn't come back but he's still a child so of course, he tried to deny it and make it less bad then it seemed. Mycroft lost his childhood as soon as he realised he wasn't wanted by his parents so he had to look after his brother and protect him from the sheer harshness of life. 

The boys went through the door and took their shoes and coats off. Thankfully the place wasn't that rounded with children so they had their own rooms each. They had the choice to decorate it if they wanted to but Mycroft declined by saying it was no use to feel at home because it would just be giving in to the fact that this was real. Sherlock took the offer though and turned his room into half and pirates ship and half a science lab. The teen went to the room in which he had been requiring and started on his homework. It didn't take long as most of the day did. He was finished within the hour and decided to just chill. It wasn't often that he got to do that so he took his time doing it. Well, he tried. Sherlock came in with some questions that couldn't possibly be answered.

Sherlock jumped on the bed and his older brother sighed painfully. "What is the outside of the universe made of?"

Mycroft kept his head on the pillow and internally counted to ten. "Probably out of the same stuff the inside of the universe is made of."

Sherlock gave him a small frown. He had a pirates hat on and it fell over his curious eyes. "What's the inside of the universe made of?"

"Matter and energy," Mycroft replied instantly. 

That wasn't enough for his younger brother. "What's matter and energy made of?"

Mycroft sat up. "Matter is made up of protons neutrons and electron. Energy, as you already know, isn't made up of anything. It just simply exists." He got up from the bed and took his tie off. "Is that all little brother, I'm rather busy."

"Not quite, just one more. What's in a black hole?" He questioned his older brother.

The question made Mycroft smile slightly. "No one knows little brother. If someone ever did find out then they couldn't tell anyone else for there would be no communication system. Black holes eat everything including light and nothing can escape it so it would be impossible to answer. There are theories that Blackholes are a gateway to a different dimension but personally, I just think it's the thing that is slowly destroying the universe but that wouldn't happen for billions of years."

Sherlock seemed content with that answer so the ran off into his domain. Mycroft shut the door and changed into something more comfortable before sitting on the cushioned window ledge and stared out of the window. It was already dark outside and it had just started to sleet so he couldn't really see much. 


	2. Chapter 2

The next dreadfully cold day, was a Saturday. Mycroft woke up to an alarm clock that went off somewhere else in the house. He stayed in bed for a bit and tried to fall back to sleep but he decided there was no point as Sherlock would be up soon. The half-asleep teen stumbled into one of the bathrooms and took a warm shower which woke him up a little more. He brushed his teeth and went back to the bedroom to brush his auburn hair and to get dressed for the day. He heard the rest of the house wake up so he took that as a sign to go into his brother's room to tell him he was going out. Sherlock was still mostly asleep so the teen wrote a short note and quietly left the building with a small bag. Technically he wasn't supposed to go out without telling an adult but he never followed rules like that so he made his way to his house. He never told anybody but he kept a spare key for the back door so he could come and go whenever he wanted. He made sure no one was watching as he slipped in and he went up to his parent's bedroom where he normally sat an thought about the past. The room was gathering dust like the rest of the house but Mycroft made sure everything was alright in case they ever did return. Sometimes he went into Sherlock's old room to retrieve something they forgot to pack.  
He remembered the day they got taken away like it had happened yesterday. A smart looking lady with a clipboard knocked on the door and Mycroft answered it. She asked if she could come in and he let her. Sherlock came down from his room and asked what was going on but he lost interest and went back upstairs. Mycroft and the lady sat down in the living room and she kept asking him questions about what they've been doing for the past month. In the end, she told him to pack some clothes and anything they really needed to keep with them. There wasn't enough time to pack anything like books and games or anything like that and she took him and his little brother to a place. They weren't allowed to go back into the house and get anything else but luckily the place was near their house and Mycroft had the key. He didn't tell anyone about it, not even Sherlock but he still snuck in a few things every now and again.   
Mycroft sat on Sherlock's bed and looked at an odd stain on the carpet. He remembered that Sherlock had nearly set the floor on fire after he spilt a chemical and tried to clean it up with water. The thing was that this certain chemical reacted back with water but luckily Mycroft was there to save the day. Sherlock now knew not to clean up chemicals with water unless it was 100% safe. The teenager sighed with all the memories that flooded his mind and decided that he should go back to the place. He picked up one of Sherlock’s science books and went into his room to take a look around. He found a scarf that he had forgotten and a photo album full of family pictures so he put them all in his bag. He left his house and locked the door before hiding the key in an inside hidden pocket in his coat. He took the walk back to the place but took a detour through the park. It was busier than usual as there was a football and a rugby match on and there were quite a few people that went to his school. He walked a bit further in but he wasn’t paying attention in where he was going so quite naturally, he bumped into someone. He hastily looked up, ready to apologise or tell that person to look where they were going (Depends on who it was.) but no sound came out of his lips when he saw who it was. It was a boy who Mycroft recognised to be in the year above him. He was wearing skin-tight jeans and a pitch-black leather jacket that admittedly looked good with dark brown curly hair and brown eyes with so much light in them. He was also carrying a guitar with a strap on his back so he was obviously going to a band practise or something the silence between them went on for a little bit too long but Mycroft still couldn’t speak so the other boy did.  
“I know you don’t I?” He asked. The distance between them wasn’t big enough for Mycroft.  
“I um. Not personally. I’m in the year below you.” He replied. Not the best thing he could’ve said but he’d work with it. For now.  
The other boy didn’t answer back for a bit. “I’m Greg Lestrade by the way.”  
Mycroft wasn’t expecting an introduction. “Mycroft Holmes.” Again there was silence.   
Greg nodded slowly but then looked around as if he had only just noticed there were other people on the planet. “Nice to meet you Mycroft. I hope to see you around.”  
That confused Mycroft which confused him even more because he was normally the one saying things to confuse people. “Why?”  
“Because you’re intresting.” He said simply and he winked before adjusting his guitar and leaving.  
That left Mycroft standing in the middle of the park with his mind going overdrive. He felt that was the oddest experience he had ever been in so he did the next best thing and carried on walking towards the place. He reached it in record time and slipped in without anyone noticing he had even gone. He went into his brother’s room and sat on the bed next to him.   
“What did you get?” He asked his older brother. He still hadn’t gotten out of bed.  
Mycroft just rolled his eyes at the impatience and took out the science book. “I took this one as you can’t get it anywhere anymore and it’s a rare copy.”  
Sherlock took it from him and inspected the cover. “I forgot I had this one.” He went to put it on his bookshelf. “Are mummy and daddy back yet.  
Mycroft sighed and tried to keep a steady voice. “Not yet but they should be soon.” He saw his younger brothers face drop. “Did you want to come with me next time I go so we can get some more things?”   
Sherlock’s face turned into delight. “Does that mean I can get the microscope and the other scientific instruments? And maybe the violin?”  
“Maybe little brother but you wouldn’t be able to use them. You’ll have to hide them under your bed, that’s why I’ve only brought things like clothes and books.” Mycroft said to him. Sherlock nodded and Mycroft went out of his brother’s room with his bag so he could look at the photographs. He took out the album and opened it up to the first page where he saw a younger version of him holding a baby Sherlock. They were both smiling wildly which made Mycroft get a lump in his throat. The next picture was of a three-year-old Sherlock wearing an overly big pirate’s hat. He was holding a plastic sword and holding it up high above his head. The next one was taken not so long before their parents left. It was a family picture with all of them smiling at the camera but then Mycroft slammed the album shut. He could feel a tear prick the corner of his eye and reminded himself that caring was not an advantage so he hid the album under the bed and put the scarf into a draw.   
His made his mind go off the subject of families and sentiment so he thought about school instead. This train of thought led him to a certain year eleven that he had met in the park earlier. There was something about Greg that didn’t seem to make sense to Mycroft. Most boys in year eleven would have tried to pick a fight with him just because he wasn’t looking where he was going and not that many years eleven boys looked that good. Mycroft realised what he had just thought and stared at the black wall for a good ten minutes to try and erase the thought but it didn’t work. Obviously the mind palace technique wasn’t that reliable when it came to people such as Greg Lestrade. Mycroft ran his fingers through his hair and went downstairs to ask the adults if he could go out for a walk. The adult said he could but he needed to be back before dark and Mycroft said he would. He then went upstairs to collect a bigger rucksack and told Sherlock to get dressed because they were going to collect the stuff now. Sherlock got ready within five minutes and they left the place.   
They walked in silence for a little bit before Mycroft said. “We need to do this pretty fast Sherlock. Do you know where the things you need are?”  
“I know where my violin and bow are,” Sherlock said.  
“Good,” Mycroft replied. “We can’t get the microscope in the bag but we can get the violin in the big one. I have a smaller one inside so we can fit more things in but this will be the only chance we get. We won’t be able to go back because I think the adults are getting suspicious.”  
“Ok, Mycroft.” He said just as they reached their house.  
Mycroft opened the back door and they both went inside and up the stairs. “Only take the things that can’t be replaced but don’t try and fit the violin in yet because we don’t want to break it.”  
Sherlock nodded and went into his room while Mycroft went into his. He looked at his bookcase but didn’t take anything from it. They could be replaced quite easily. He saw another photo album but left it because it didn’t have much inside. He opened up his chest and rummaged through it. He took a small box with his great grandfather's war meddles and a watch that used to belong to his grandfather. He placed them carefully into the bag. He went around his room a bit more and looked under his bed where he saw the umbrella Sherlock had gotten him one Christmas. He grabbed hold of that and was about to leave when his eyes caught sight of something shiny. It was an old tie pin that his father wore at his wedding and he had given it to Mycroft after he had won an award at school. It was the only time he could remember that he had made his father proud and it even had his name graved into it. It took and put it with the other things before checking on his brother. Sherlock had a pile of things and they couldn’t possibly fit it all in the bags.  
Mycroft sighed as he took the violin and placed it inside the biggest bag. “Is there anything soft and fabric you want that we can put in this one?”  
Sherlock handed him a few items of clothing. Mycroft neatly folded them into the bag before saying. “Now sort through that pile. Pic ten things that you can’t possibly live without. In the end, he picked eleven because the last thing was only a small notebook that their mother used to write bedtime stories in she used to tell them. Everything was ready but Sherlock stopped suddenly in the middle of the hallway.  
“What now Sherlock. It’s going to get dark soon.” Mycroft said.  
“Could I go and get something from mummy’s room?” He asked.  
Mycroft bit his lip. “If it belongs to mummy or father then it could be classed as stealing and we could probably still get into trouble for even collecting our own stuff.”  
“I just want something to remember her by,” Sherlock said quietly.  
Mycroft looked at his brother sadly. “You don’t need one lock. She’s coming back.”  
Sherlock shook his head. “We both know she’s not. I believed it at first but then I knew she wouldn’t.”  
“What gave it away?” Mycroft asked.  
“The fact that we have to do this in the first place. If we were coming back to live here then we wouldn’t have to go and collect our stuff. I’ve known for a little while but I just didn’t want to believe it.” He said.   
Mycroft went to him and hugged him. “I have photos. That should be enough for now. We need to go back though.”  
Sherlock nodded and picked up the lightest of the bags. “Ok then.”  
They made their way back to the place and only just managed to get in without being seen. They took their stuff to the rooms and put them away. Mycroft looked at the key and thought about turning it in but decided against it. Instead, e wrote a letter to their parents and put the key inside the envelope. 

**Dear Mr and Mrs Holmes,**

**I understand why you left but I don't understand how you could've left an eight** **-year-old without saying goodbye. I don't care that you left me but you hurt my little brother in more ways then you could imagine. You've lost the ability to be my parents on the day you left but you have no right to do that to Sherlock. You left without a note or and explanation or even a goodbye. I know the Holmes family don't do goodbyes but you could've made an exception. There may be things missing from our rooms because they belong to us and we needed them but we didn't touch anything that you two own. The key is for the back door.**

**If you ever do come back then you can't take us back into care. The social workers took the responsibility of that. Sometimes I wish this was all a dream and that we could all go back to what we were before. I'm sorry if I disappointed you or anything but please could you come back for Sherlock. He's still only a child and he needs you.**

**I suppose this is goodbye then.**

**Mycroft Holmes.**

Mycroft sealed it up and left the letter on the dressing table ready to be posted. He took one glance of it and went down to get food.


	3. Chapter 3

Weeks went by and soon enough, it was Christmas. Well technically Christmas was in five days but Mycroft and Sherlock had just broken up from school. Mycroft was sitting on the bed and looking through the family photo album. He often did that now before he got up for the day just to give him some hope. It was quite early in the morning and even the birds hadn't woken up yet so he sat in deep thought for a bit.

Five days before Christmas and no word from their parents. Not that he expected them to turn up just because of the time of year. Mycroft got out of the bed and went into his brother's room to tell him to get up. The adults thought it was a good idea if both of them went on a walk in the morning. They were the only children in the place at the moment because the others were taken away into foster homes over the holidays. Sherlock was up and ready when Mycroft went in which was unusual. Sherlock never got up before nine if he had a choice.

"Why are you up at this time?" Mycroft questioned his little brother.

Sherlock had his violin out on the bed and he was gently stroking the dark wood with his fingers. "I want to go to our house."

Mycroft sighed. "What's the chance that they'd be there?"

"There's a small chance and it's a chance I want to take." He stated. Obviously, Mycroft wasn't going to have much choice over the matter.

"Ok, but put a jumper on." He went out of the room to grab a slice of toast. Sherlock came down not long after and did the same and the two of them were off again.

They went through the park where the grass was white and crunchy with frost and the lake had almost frozen over. The trees were leafless apart from the evergreens and their branches moved with the icy breeze. There were hardly any people in that area of the park and there wouldn't be for another few hours. The brothers walked back out of the park and went down the street to their house. Mycroft was looking in a different direction so he didn't see his brother stop. Sherlock pulled his arm and then pointed to one of the front windows. The light was on. This sight made the oldest pause in his steps and stare at the window with no expression on his face. 

Sherlock took a step forward but Mycroft held him back. "Mycroft please." The young boy begged. 

"We can't. I'm so sorry but we would get into a lot of trouble." He told him.

Sherlock stopped struggling. "This could be our only chance to see them again." He managed to get free from his brother and he ran up to the door, rapping on it hastily. 

Mycroft held his breath and I took every part of him not to grab his brother and get out of there. However, he couldn't move to carry out the action. The door opened and there stood their mother. Sherlock instantly threw his arms around her and Mycroft felt himself do the same but that choice wasn't made by his brain. She certainly wasn't expecting them to be there but she told them to get in out of the cold. She kept asking them how they were and what they've been doing but both boys stayed silent. She knew she wasn't going to get an answer so she made them both something to drink. At least she still remembered what they liked to drink. 

"Why did you come back?" Mycroft asked in a monotone. He sat on the edge of the sofa with his drink and stared directly at the fruit bowl. He felt the sofa dip next to him as his little brother sat down.

Their mother sat opposite them. "I wanted to see you two."

Mycroft wasn't taking that response. "You've been here for over a week and you don't even know where we are staying. Don't lie to us."

She rolled her eyes. "I was going to sell the house."

"Did you at least get something for Sherlocks birthday?" He asked her. He looked at her face and the expression on it told him everything. "You forgot. " He stood up from the sofa but she tried to stop him.

"Myc I'll explain everything." Mycroft turned around and gave her a cold stare. "You see, your father and I went away to get more money for you two. Something happened to him so he had to stay there for work and we've brought a nice little cottage up near Glasgow. We have everything to get our life back together so I could take you two with me and we can be a family again." 

Sherlock looked up to his brother in question and Mycroft shook his head. "There is no way I'm falling for that." He gestured for Sherlock to get to him and he did. "Do you really think either of us is that stupid."

"What do you mean?" She asked in a high simpering voice.

Mycroft lost his cool and started shouting as loudly as he could without alerting anyone else. "You left us without a goodbye for months. You forgot about his birthday and will assume you didn't think about us the entire time you were in Spain. Yes, I know where you were. You're way too tanned to have been in Scotland and you haven't unpacked your suitcase fully yet which has your passport hanging out of it. There's a magazine in Spanish on the table next to a letter handwritten by someone you personally know. Probably, someone, you met in Spain and you've got a brand new engagement ring on. Your wedding ring is gone so you and father broke up. He's in a completely different country and hasn't seen you for ages. You don't want us to come with you because of a family. Your fiancee already has a few children so you only want us there as personal servants. So kindly rethink your proposition." 

She stared at both of them with nothing but hate. "Get out of my house."

"Gladly," Mycroft said and he took his brother's hand. "Come on Lock."

"No. Sherlocks staying with me." She demanded.

The young boy shook his head. "No, I'm not. I'm staying with my brother."

She made to grab him but he and Mycroft ran out of the front door. They kept running until they reached the park and they had to catch their breaths. 

"She can't do that can she?" Sherlock asked him.

"It's illegal but if she had the chance, she would do it," Mycroft explained.

Sherlock bit his lip. "I'm sorry Mycroft."

"It's fine. It really is." He said. They carried on walking back to the place. "We can go up to my room and look at the photo album if you want."

The younger boy nodded but then he looked confused. "You called it your room."

Mycroft sighed. "I suppose I did. I must have finally realised the place is more of a home then our old house will ever be."

"I think your brain realised a long time ago brother. Your heart, on the other hand, needed more convincing." Sherlock said. They got to the home and took their coats and shoes off. "Are you going to see Greg again?"

"I don't know." He admitted. They walked into the kitchen where their social worker was. He had some news for them. Someone was offering to take them in for the Christmas holidays and they both agreed after meeting the people.

They packed everything they needed and by the time it was night, they found themselves in a cosy house just outside of London with a nice couple and their Irish setter. Sherlock was thrilled that they were staying with a dog so he found himself quite content and the people owned a piano so Mycroft found himself busy with a few classical pieces. The people were called Violet and Siger and they wanted to adopt some children as they couldn't have any of their own. Christmas day was the best Mycroft had ever had. Even though they barely knew Violet and Siger, they brought them presents and cooked a most delicious dinner with turkey and stuffing and pigs in blankets and trifle. They played board games and Sherlock played with the dog while Mycroft read a book that he had gotten for Christmas. Mycroft would even go as far as saying that this was the best day of his life. 

The day came for them to go back to the home and a thought occurred in Mycroft's head. He talked to his brother about it.

"Sherlock, did you enjoy yourself?" He asked.

Sherlock thought for a second. "Yeah, I did."

"If we had the chance would you want to come back?" He asked again.

Sherlock sat up. "I know what you're getting at brother. I'm not asking them though."

Mycroft stood up. "Fair enough but you're going to have to come down with me to show them that we both want this."

"Are you sure they want this?" Sherlock asked him.

Mycroft nodded. "I'm 99% sure they want this."

They walked down to the living room where Violet and Siger was.

Mycroft asked them if they could stay permanently and he listed all of the reasons why they both wanted to stay. Sherlock too listed a few things besides Redbeard and it didn't take long for the four of them to realise that it would be the best solution. Violet and Siger were to adopt them.


	4. Chapter 4

Mycroft and Sherlock had been living with Violet and Siger for about a year and a half. It was probably the best decision they ever made but it wasn't all sunshine and daisies. It was just a little bit after Sherlock turned nine and the family were asleep. Mycroft woke up to the sound of a car rolling up the driveway and a few muffled voices. Redbeard started going crazy and kept barking which woke everyone else up so Mycroft went to look out of his window. Dark figures were sneaking about the garden and it looked as if they were going to break in but they didn't look like the usual robbers. Sherlock came into his room with a look of dire panic on his face.

"Mycroft what's happening?" He folded his arms and Redbeard stayed at his feet.

"Hopefully just some people that have come around for a cup of tea." He went back to look out of the window to see them getting things from the van. "They really are the most idiotic criminals I've seen though. Has someone rung the police?"

Sherlock nodded and sat on his brother's bed. "Yes, mummy did. What if they wanted us to notice them. It could be a trap."

"I doubt that Lock. They haven't even gotten into the house yet and I'm not sure that..." Something terrible dawned on him. "Brother. You need to hide now."

Violet came into the room just then to tell them the police were on the way but she stopped when she saw Mycroft's face. "Mycroft, do you know who they are?"

"It's them. They've come for him." He said grimly.

"Now's not the time to be dramatic. What do you mean?" She asked impatiently.

Mycroft looked back at the window where one of the people took off their masks and his theory was correct. "It's our biological mother. She said she would take him but I didn't think she would carry through with it." Sherlock moved closer to Redbeard.

Violet thought for a second exactly before saying. "I have a hidden room both of you can go in."

Sherlock's mood changed all of a sudden. "What really? So we can pretend to be secret spies and hide away from all of the bad people until they walk into a trap and we can get them?"

Mycroft came closer to his bed. "Yes, brother. We can be spies." He heard another sound coming from downstairs and retreated back to the window. "They have guns but they're just staying there as if they're waiting for something..."

Violet grabbed his arm and led the two boys to the secret space. It wasn't really secret, but it was well hidden so you wouldn't know it was there unless someone told you about it. It wasn't very big so only the boys could get in after some protesting from Sherlock and Redbeard. They had to be quiet because the walls weren't that soundproof and they couldn't turn on the light as it would shine out of the cracks. They had a few blankets and pillows so they sat down on the floor and Sherlock fell asleep on Mycroft's shoulder. Mycroft tried to listen to what was going on but the talking wasn't really anything going on so obviously the criminals weren't in the house yet. He just hoped Redbeard wouldn't be anywhere nearby so if they did come in, they wouldn't suspect anything odd. It felt like an age before anything happened. He heard the front door get forced open and Redbeard started barking again. There were some bangs like things being knocked off shelves but thankfully there were no gunshots. Sooner or later, the police came by and people were arrested. Violet opened the secret door to say everything was safe for now. Mycroft carried his brother to his bed and tucked him in, leaving Redbeard to guard. He didn't bother going back to his room so he went back downstairs with Violet and Siger. They gave him a mug of hot chocolate and the three of them sat in the living room until it got light.

"Who got arrested?" Mycroft asked out of the blue.

Violet shifted in her chair. "They caught most of them. One of them escaped."

"I'm going to make a wild guess who it was." He muttered.

"Mycroft It's going to be fine." She reassured him.

Mycroft stood up and walked to the stairs. "She'll be back. Nothing ever stopped her and nothing ever will."

Mycroft heard his adoptive parents sigh as he claimed to stairs to check up on his brother. He was still sleeping and Redbeard had relocated himself to the bottom of the bed. He went into his own room and flopped himself on his bed. It didn't take very long for him to fall asleep out of pure exhaustion and he only woke up when he felt a prod on his shoulder. He opened his eyes and saw his little brother standing there with a magnifying glass that Violet used for cross stitch. 

"I want to be a detective." He stated.

Mycroft yawned and sat up. "What happened to wanting to be a pirate?" 

Sherlock sat on the bed. "They got a bit old. They were pretty cool in the eighteenth century but then the fashion died down a bit. Being a detective, however, will never get old because there's always something to solve."

"Yes lock but being a detective requires having to listen to people and doing as you're told." He put bluntly.

Sherlock scrunched his face up. "I always do as I'm told but if that's the case, then I'll just go freelance."

Mycroft gave his brother an amused smile. "Sherlock, when have you ever done as you're told?"

"Normally when I want something." He said and he ran out of the room with Redbeard following.

Mycroft went downstairs and was greeted with a sandwich and cake. Violet sat down opposite him at the table with a cuppa while Sherlock was running around them in circles pretending to catch a criminal. Once Mycroft had finished with lunch he retreated to the living room with a book. He thought about Greg and the few times they had met each other. The three times they had met was purely by accident. Or it could be that Mycroft decided to take a walk at the same time Greg was going to music. Violet threw some leaflets beside him and he peered at them. They had pictures of houses with prices on them.

"Are we moving?" He asked.

"Only if you and Sherlock want to but I think it will be for the best to keep you two safe. We probably need to go somewhere bigger anyway because you two need more space to run about." She said.

"I probably won't be the one running about. It requires leg work." He replied with a smirk. He picked one of the leaflets and opened one up. There was a picture of a cottage a bit bigger than this one. It had quite a lot of land which Sherlock would like a lot and apparently, It even had its own small library. "This one looks good." He showed violet the picture.

"I was looking at that one. You have taste Mycroft." She smiled at him and called Sherlock over to look at the houses.

He took the leaflet and stared at the picture. "It has a big garden." He looked down the list of what it has and his face lit up. "Mycroft look, it has a beehive. I definitely want to go here. Where is it?"

Mycroft took it from him. "The depths of Sussex I believe."

"Sussex! But that's centuries away from London." He exclaimed. "How am I going to detect anything?"

Violet laughed. "London isn't the only place where they have mysteries to solve Sherlock. I think Sussex will be a good place where you can run about with Redbeard without causing too much mischief."

"Is it possible for Sherlock to go anywhere without causing mischief?" Mycroft stated half-heartedly.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

In the end, everyone decided it was a good idea to move to Sussex which meant they had to move school which also meant Mycroft would probably never see Greg again. One thing did stay the same though. Time went unbearably slow. Sherlock had settled in fairly quick in his new school and he was getting smarter by the minute. Mycroft taught him how to deduce because Sherlock had asked him too as it might come in useful when he was a detective. The only problem with that was he couldn't always control when he used deduction and it often ended with name-calling. Mycroft was studying for his GCSEs so he had to put most of his time towards course work and everything but he never used the excuse he had no time for his brother. There were a few thoughts that constantly plagued his. Would his Biological Mother take Sherlock away and what could he do to prevent it from happening. That was when he had the idea to go into the government. He wouldn't want to be in the bit of the government where everyone knows your name. No. He wanted to be completely secret and get into action without the legwork part.

He told Violet and Siger and they told him he could do whatever he wants so he went to work. He looked in books and all over the internet to see what qualifications he needed and what college and university he needed to apply too. It only took him a few days and he told Violet and Siger his plan. They seemed ok with it and he applied for a college that had exactly what he needed and It wasn't too far away so he could come back home. 

For once, time went faster then what Mycroft could've hoped for and he was off to the first steps of ruling the world. Well, that's what Sherlock called it. Mycroft brought some new suits and things like that and before he left for his first day, he saw the umbrella in the corner of the room and he grabbed it as it looked like rain outside. He went to say Goodbye to his brother but Sherlock didn't look that well so he went in and sat on the bed next to him.

"What's wrong little brother?" He asked.

Sherlock looked up at him. "You're not leaving are you?"

Mycroft sighed. He knew this was going to come at some point. "I'm only going to college Lock. I'll be back to pick you up from school."

Sherlock didn't look convinced. "But you'll leave when you go to uni. You'll have to stay in the accommodation rooms and when you leave uni then you'll get a job."

"Yes. But do you really want me to be around and annoy you for longer than necessary?" Mycroft asked him.

Sherlock shrugged. "You don't annoy me that much and what if I need you to stay around so you get me out of whatever trouble I get into. "

"I'll hold you to that little brother." He said

Sherlock got up from his bed when Redbeard came in. "You could kidnap someone in a sleek black car and take them to an abandoned car park to interrogate them."

"Points for dramatics though I doubt I'd be allowed to kidnap people just to get information." He stood up and walked to the door.

"Admit it through Mycroft. If you had the chance you would do that just to be dramatic." Sherlock stated as he scratched Redbeard behind the ears.

"I'm not saying a word," Mycroft said pointedly. "I'll see you later." He walked out of the door after saying goodbye to Violet and Siger and went to the bus stop.

College was very easy for the eldest Holmes Sibling and he was almost sure all of the clocks were broken. The lectures immediately saw Mycroft was a genius so they put him up a year. This would mean he would go to university early and he really didn't want to see his brothers reaction when he found out he would be leaving sooner than expected. The day went and Mycroft took the bus back home where he was met with Sherlock playing with Redbeard in the Garden. He didn't look very happy though but Mycroft decided to leave him and ask Violet instead.

"Why is he upset again?" He asked while he helped her with the washing up.

"Redbeard is nearly fifteen and he's getting ill." Was all she said. "The vet said he didn't have very long."

Mycroft put a plate away. "I assume he didn't take that very well?"

"I didn't expect him too. He's ten years old and those two are best friends." She told him. "Is there something you want to tell me?" She asked.

Mycroft sighed. "I'm going a bit earlier than expected. The college placed me up a year and they advise me to call up the university of my choice."

Violet just nodded. "So you're worried how he's going to take it?"

"He's my brother. I worry about him constantly." He put the towel on the rack and sat at the table.

"So to him it will be like losing two best friends at once." She drained the sink and put the kettle on. "How does he take really bad news?"

Mycroft stared out of the window that faced the garden. "I don't know. He's never got this attached to anything before so nothing has ever been taken away from him. I don't know how he'll react."

She looked at her son very confused. "He didn't even react when..." She didn't get to finish.

"No. He just went along with it and actually reacted better then I did. That's probably the worst thing that's happened to him and it wasn't that bad." He took one of the cups of tea Violet gave him and sipped at him. "We just need to hope it isn't anything too serious."


	5. Chapter 5

Mycroft watched his little brother warily as Redbeard deteriorated. Time seemed to be slow and fast all at the same time and It took six months before Redbeard got that bad they decided it would be better to put him down. Sherlock tried to put up a fight and said it was animal cruelty and that he didn't need to die so Mycroft sat him down in his room the night before the appointment to explain to him that it would be worse to let him suffer. Sherlock locked himself and Redbeard in his room and didn't come down for dinner or anything. Mycroft sighed and retreated to his one room to complete an essay before retiring for the day. 

The sun woke Mycroft the next morning as it shone through the curtains. He smiled at the thought that he would be going to university soon but then realised he hadn't told Sherlock yet even though he should've done it straight away. Mycroft got out of his bed and opened the curtains before appreciating the view of the countryside in the morning sun. There were a few things scattered on the lawn that you shouldn't really see in the morning. A long rope tied to a basket and a pillow lay just underneath Sherlocks bedroom window. Mycroft sighed. He should've seen this happening. Without waking his mum and dad, Mycroft slipped on his shoes and coat and made his way outside. He knew exactly where Sherlock would be. In the treehouse down the field, their dad built for Sherlock last summer. It wasn't that high up so Redbeard could get into it easily in with a little bit of help. The walk there didn't take long and Mycroft's suspicions were confirmed when he saw a red tail poking out through the branches. He claimed up and saw his little brother and Redbeard curled up and fast asleep with a blanket and a few pillows. Mycroft sat on the branch and gently shook his brother awake.

"Sherlock, planning to run away with hardly anything with you is hardly a good idea," Mycroft said to him as he opened his eyes.

Sherlock sat up and moved the blanket a bit. "But at least I'd have Redbeard."

Mycroft bit his lip as he picked a flower from the tree and started removing the petals. "You must know little brother that at one point everyone must die."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not an idiot Mycroft. I know everyone has to die but I want to know why." He started to stroke Redbeard's back. "I know he has to die but I wanted us to have one last adventure before..."

Mycroft could see Sherlock's eyes begin to tear up so he offered him his hand to help him up. "We're going to have to go before mummy suspects you've been out."

"Do you even care that he's going to die?" Sherlock asked him as he carefully woke Redbeard up.

Mycroft took the blanket while his brother took care of everything else. "He's kept you happy these past few years and you two have gotten close."

"That doesn't answer the question Mycroft. You just care about how I'll react. You don't care about Redbeard at all do you?" He was starting to raise his voice.

Mycroft counted to ten in his head and kept silent all the way back to the house. He picked up the basket with the rope and other pillow and carried them to his brothers' room. They had gotten there just in time for their parents to wake up. He made himself and Sherlock some toast while the youngest of the two made sure Redbeard's bowl was full. Sherlock fed him extra treats and even gave him some leftover cooked sausages from last nights dinner because they were a treat. Their parents came down the stairs fully dressed and ready. The boys went up to get ready before they had to go to the vets. 

Two hours later, they were sat in the waiting room and all feeling a bit upset though Mycroft was more upset by the fact this could lead his brother to be heartbroken. They were called in not long later and Mycroft saw his brother's hands tighten on Redbeard's leash. They went into the room and they had to put Redbeard on a table. Sherlock didn't leave his side even for a second and he tried to be cheery. He didn't want Redbeard to see him being sad in his last moments. The vet injected him with something that slowly made Redbeard fall asleep. Once it was done, no one had anything to say but a few moments later Sherlock stormed out of the room and Mycroft followed him. They went outside and Sherlock sat down with his face buried between his knees. Mycroft sighed as he sat down next to him.

"Go away Mycroft!" Sherlock said to him but it was muffled.

"Brother, I'm just trying not to make this hard for you." He told him.

"But you lied to me. You said you wouldn't away for at least another year but you're going in September. Redbeard's dead and you're leaving." He said in a sob.

Mycroft leant his head against the wall. "You heard me talking to mummy, didn't you. Lock, Redbeard's life wasn't wasted and I know how much he meant to you but..."

"Stop acting like you care Mycroft." He lifted his head up. "You don't care about anyone and Don't call me Lock. Only my brother gets to call me that. "He stood up. "Don't follow me, I don't need you anymore." Sherlock left and walked towards the town. Mycroft stayed where he was and groaned. How could he have messed everything up like this?

* * *

Time had flown and soon enough, Mycroft was going off of uni. It was the night before he hadn't seen Sherlock all day. In fact, none of them saw Sherlock anymore. He was eleven and had only just started secondary school and took that as permission to never be at home. Mycroft had hoped he could spend some time with his little brother but he could always write letters or send an email or two. Violet made a cake and cooked Mycrofts favourite dinner. It was late and Sherlock still wasn't back so the three of them started to worry. Siger told Mycroft to go to bed as he had to wake up early in the morning much to his distaste. He fell asleep early but woke up a few hours later to loud voices. Obviously Sherlock had come back and Violet was telling him off. The time on the clock showed nearly half ten. So yes, Sherlock was definitely going to get told off. Mycroft heard footsteps climb the stairs and stop at his door. It opened and Sherlock came to sit at the end of his bed.

"Finally decided to show yourself then," Mycroft said to him.

Sherlock gave an audible sigh. "Don't worry brother, I haven't been doing anything illegal." There was silence. "I just came to tell you that I won't be awake at five in the morning so I'm saying goodbye now."

"I'll be back at Christmas brother mine." He told him.

"You'll change. You won't be my brother, you'll be someone entirely different. I bet you'll forget all about Greg and Redbeard and everyone because You'll be with the adults." He said.

Mycroft sighed. "It won't be that bad brother." Sherlock went back to the door to leave. "Goodnight then Sherlock."

It took a while for Mycroft to fall back to sleep again but as soon as he did, the alarm woke him up again. He got out of bed and dressed into one of his suits. He took his umbrella and went out of his room to get a quick breakfast before Siger took him to the train station. He said goodbye to Violet and stepped out of the house. From the corner of his eye, Mycroft saw Sherlock standing at his window and looking directly at him but he was gone again in the blink of an eye. Soon enough, he was sitting on a train on the way to uni and started to make his way into the real world.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is going to be a bit vague. I want to finish the story and tie up loose ends but I don't think I can't write any more proper chapters.

When Mycroft got to university, everything changed. He tried to focus on both his family and on his studies but the work didn't allow him to have both. He visited his brother in the holidays though they were very distant. The more time he was at university, the more Sherlock and himself grew apart. 

Finally, the oldest brother graduated Uni and set off on the path that he hoped was the right one. He started off being the PA to someone quite important in the government. He took phone calls and wrote notes and planned schedules. Every day, he went home to his little city house and sat down to read a book before phoning his brother. They mostly talked about how Sherlock was doing in school and after five minutes, Sherlock always found himself something better to do with his time. 

A few years went by and Mycroft had gotten himself promoted to have a minor position in the government. He had his own office and his own security. A nice girl who changed her name every other week just in case. Sherlock had left home by that time and went to follow his big brother to London. Mycroft often watched over him to make sure he wasn't getting himself into any trouble. Mycroft's job got more demanding. Soon enough, he had to start planning trips to other countries to make deals that not even the prime minister knew about. He met up with some of the most dangerous people in the world and decided he needed to know how to fire a gun when needed. 

Months of lessons got him prepared for the world. He even got a sword and a handgun installed inside his umbrella. When he did get time off (It wasn't that often.) he went to see his brother. Mycroft remembered a time when Sherlock looked happy to see him but now he was often greeted with a scowl or a "What do you want?" He always wanted to know how he could've done things differently. It was their biological mother's fault. 

Mycroft noticed that Sherlock had started going to mini police groups to solve some crimes but they never let him so he started going to Scottland yard. There was one particular group that his brother was interested in so he thought he would have a meeting with the detective Inspector. He asked Anthea to get a name and address and within twenty minutes, he was on his way to the Yard. He only looked at the paper when he arrived at the building and when he saw the name, his heart stopped. He hadn't thought of that name in a long time. Gregory Lestrade.

He walked through the building without showing emotion. Without hesitating, he went into Gregory's office and the silver-haired man looked up. Neither of them spoke for a few minutes since they were taking each other in.

Mycroft was the first to break the silence. He had to be professional about this. "Gregory, I..."

Greg interrupted. "So you finally decided to show up then." The younger man couldn't seem to find the right words to say. "I knew I recognised your brother when he came looking for murder. However, he didn't explain why I haven't seen you again for almost twelve years."

Mycroft bit his lip. His guard was completely down. "It's complicated."

Greg sighed. "It always is with you Holmes boys isn't it. I never forgot you, Mycroft Holmes."

Unsurely, the other man nodded. He looked at the picture on one of Gregs files. His heart dropped even more. "Are you busy with something?"

Greg looked at the page and shrugged. "Not really. No one knows who she is or where she is. All we know is that she's on a murder spree."

"Anything connected the murders?" Mycroft asked.

He nodded. "The victims all seem to be Dark curly-haired boys under the age of ten."

Mycroft felt ill. "Call my brother."

"Why. Do you know who she is?" Greg asked.

"She's the reason Sherlock and I had to leave. She's out biological mother." He told him. Then he stormed out of Greg's office to make some phone calls to Anthea. 

Sherlock arrived half an hour later and almost set off an argument when he saw his brother. Mycroft took him to a corner. "How much do you remember of our birth mother?"

Sherlock shrugged. "Nothing really apart from the fact she was crazy and tried to kidnap us."

"Close enough. She would have probably killed you as well." Mycroft told him.

Sherlock rolled his eyes. "I'm not interested in solving a case that has anything to do with our lives before the age of seventeen."

"We're not solving a case little Brother. This is us finally being able to get our own back." He told him.

Sherlock nodded. "Alright then. I'm in. I need to confirm my suspicions to whether she killed our Dad as well."

"The thought had entered my mind." He said. They walked to Greg's office.

"I dare you to kiss him," Sherlock said out of nowhere.

Mycroft looked at his little brother like he had also gone crazy. " We're not children little brother."

"We never have been children Mycroft." He retorted. "Now go and kiss him before I lock the two of you in a room."

Mycroft went into that room and roughly pressed his lips against Gregs. Everyone was immensely surprised. The kiss lasted a longish while and Mycroft pulled back. "I can't believe I just did that.

Before anyone could say anything else, Serjeant Donovan came through saying that there had been a sighting. They spent the next three days chasing her down and hardly stopped to take breaks. After nearly giving up, they finally got her. Gregory took the pleasure of the arresting and locking up and the Holmes brothers did the interrogating. It turned out she still thought Sherlock was a child and she was trying to get him. She didn't know that the two men in front of her were her children. She had confessed to killing their Dad and also murdering her new husband and his children along with a few other men she had been sleeping with. After that, she was going to get locked up for a long while.

After everything had happened, Mycroft and Sherlock found themselves sitting outside on a bench completely alone. After a few minutes of silence, Sherlock spoke up.

"Mycroft. I'm sorry." He told him. It was rare to see Sherlock apologising to anyone.

"What have you got to be sorry for Lock. It was my fault. I shouldn't have left you alone."

Sherlock shook his head. "I forgot that you were only a child yourself. You couldn't have stayed forever. I blamed you for Redbeard and I blamed you for having to leave home." He then did something that no one would believe if they didn't see it. He hugged him and Mycroft hugged him back. "And even if you did do anything then I forgive you."

"I forgive you too little brother. Maybe we could start life all over again and be on better terms." He said.

"Yes." Sherlock pulled back. "I'm going back to solving murders. You can go back to explaining to Greg why you haven't seen him for years."

Mycroft groaned. "Why do you have to leave the hard Jobs to me."

Sherlock grinned. "Because you're the oldest." 


End file.
